It was when I was a child visiting my grandfather, eating lunch before leaving to go home. Flipping through the channels on the tiny kitchen TV, I happened to see a cartoon I didn’t recognize. Two men with crazy spiky hair were in a rocky area and seemed to be fighting in a way I had never imagined. Blazing energy would surround their body and they’d fly through the sky. Then the moment came. They each fired a beam of energy at each other, clashing in midair. Colors flashed. The men yelled and struggled. It was love at first sight. My mom called me out to leave and I walked out with my head still turned back to the TV with no idea what I just witnessed, but that was the moment that changed everything about how my brain functioned.

Like many others I know, I later discovered Dragonball Z properly when it came to Cartoon Network, soon having a whole block of what was called anime built around it. Every day after school was something to look forward to. The action and characters where unlike anything else and I found myself drawn to the show like a black hole. I slowly discovered the depth of the series with its origins in Dragonball, how it came from Japan and they had so much more than what we had seen so far. I bought and imported games and tiny little collectible figures. I made friends who shared in the excitement of the show who I still connect with and treasure to this day. It was an entry point to anime yes, but it held so much value to me on its own.

I wouldn’t be who I am today without Dragonball. It defined so much of what brings me joy. It lit my imagination on fire. It inspired countless others that create what I still enjoy to this day. And all of this is just how one of Akira Toriyama’s creations affected one little person. Toriyama is more than just Dragonball, and so many others have been affected and inspired by him like I was. Countless others. He was truly a legend in how much joy he brought to the world, and even to the end, he was creating. His loss is felt around the globe, but I know his spirit and legacy will live on inside of us.

I owe so much to Toriyama and his work.
Thank you Toriyama for the joy, the excitement, the wonder, the memories, the friendships. I will carry them with me always.
Thank you for everything. You were taken too early, but you left marks that will never be forgotten.

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